Plea against NGT order withdrawn in Kashang Project

The state government has withdrawn its petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of National Green Tribunal (NGT) referring 130MW hydro project in tribal Kinnaur district to gram sabhas of affected villages.September 09, 2016, 07:58 IST

Shimla: The state government has withdrawn its petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of National Green Tribunal (NGT) referring 130MW hydro project in tribal Kinnaur district to gram sabhas of affected villages. Intervention of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, apparently brought about the change in stance by the Congress government in Himachal.

Earlier, the state discom, Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), had filed an appeal challenging the order of the NGT that has asked the government to take approval from the panchayats of the affected tribal villages before diverting the land for the mega project.

The judgment of the NGT had come in May after 'Paryavaran Sanrankshan Sangarsh Samiti' of Lippa village - of the habitats to be affected by the hydro power project - move the green court saying that the environmental clearance to the plant violated the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The act mandates that no-objection certificate of the gram sabha of villages to be affected by the project is a must for plans in tribal and forest areas.

NGT wanted the government to seek nod from village bodies for all community, individual, religious and cultural claims. In addition, it required the panchayats to look at technical details also such as silt load in Kerang stream caused by the diversion of water from the Kerang stream to Kashang stream and the possible loss of livelihood.

The decision of the HPPCL, however, created an uproar. The state government came under attack from tribals and social activists and gave the opposition ammunition to corner it.

A senior Congress leader, requesting anonymity, told TOI that four days back, Rahul Gandhi called Himachal Congress president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to understand the situation. Following the meeting, Congress high command on Wednesday issued directions to CM Virbhadra Singh to withdraw the appeal filed against the tribunal's order.

HPPCL, managing director, Devender Kumar Sharma said appeal was withdrawn as state government has decided that chief secretary V C Pharka would meet the tribal residents on September 26 and 27, to discuss the matter.